A real battle is unfolding at a London auction for a Holbein miniature known as “Lady with a Bouquet of Carnations.” Katherine Lorimer manages to outperform her rivals, but instead of triumph, she feels anxiety and emptiness. The miniature project is a huge gamble, and if it fails, Catherine will be on the verge of ruin. In addition, Katherine is lonely: the person dearest to her, her niece, will soon get married and leave her. The portrait of a beautiful but unhappy woman fascinates the new owner... But won’t it happen that she herself will repeat the fate of Holbein’s model? In addition to the novel “The Lady with a Bouquet of Carnations”, the collection includes three stories by the famous writer - “Night Vigils”, “Enchanted Snow” and “Woman of the Earth”. All works are published in Russian for the first time.